Notre Dame College Prep Principal Elected President Of IHSA Board

NILES, IL — The principal of Notre Dame College Prep in Niles was elected president of the Illinois High School Association board of directors at a meeting Wednesday in Bloomington.

Dan Tully, who is in 17th year as principal of the Catholic high school in Niles, has sat on the 11-member IHSA board since 2017 and served as its secretary since 2021, according to school officials.

The 122-year-old association regulates dozens of high school sports for more than 760 public and private high schools across the state.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be elected President of the IHSA Board of Directors,” Tully said in a statement.

Tully is the 39th person to serve as board president and the first principal of a non-public high school to lead the board.

“Advocating for the Illinois high schools students who participate in IHSA activities and sports is a tremendous responsibility that I will continue to approach thoughtfully," said Tully, who graduated from Notre Dame College Prep in 1994.

"I look forward to working alongside my fellow Board members on behalf of the entire IHSA membership," he added.

Also elected at Wednesday's meeting: Carterville High School principal Todd Rogers was picked as board vice-president, while Mike Castleman, the athletic director of Olympia High School, was picked as board secretary.

Castleman became the first athletic administrator to become an officer on the IHSA board, according to IHSA representatives. Only high school principals were eligible to be board members until 2020.